Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-07-22

| makes the wooden pins which butchers use
10 stick their beefsteaks and lamb roasts to
gether, and it sells its product in Europe a
well as in America.
had chat with Mr.. N. G. Mccullough,
If Anderson, in regard to his big well there,
which he says, by actual test, has been
proven equal to the Karg well at Findlay.
saw the well. The gas had been shut off and
an overcoat had been thrown over the valve to
aid, suppose, in stopping the leakage.
Nevertheless the gas was rushing through
this with noise like that of a dozen swarms
of bees in swarming time, and a match
would have sent a great flame into the air.
Mr.. Mccullough described to me the drilling
of his well. "The gas" said he. "was struck
about six weeks ago, and the cost of drilling
it was 81 $50. The total cost of the well is
over s., 900. Gas had been discovered here
before and two or three good wells were
flowing several millions of cubic feet day.
The first well was put down by stock COM
pany gotten up among the citizens, in
which the shares were as low as $50. In
digging this big well, we drilled down 100
feet through the drift to the rock, and sunk
into this hole an iron pipe ten inches in
diameter. We then drilled in through the
rock, keeping the same ten inch drill until we
reached $50 feet below the earth's surface. This
hole was now full of water, and the lower
part of it was, of course pipe Of solid rock.
We now inserted another iron pipe 5H
inches in diameter into this to shut out
the water and went on drilling until we
came to slate We found no water below the
Mi nd fha lrin 4,
down still further for gas After we had
struck this we had to insert another pipe and
we found the flow of gas so great that it re-
qured ~ inch packing to use it. The
gas threw the drilling over the derrick, and
during the last part Of the work the force
was NO great that it was almost impossible to
drill. The gas foated the 1880 pounds of
drill and the 5000 pounds of rope, and the
work was very slow"
Mr.. Mccullough says he has been success
full in making a good artificial gas out of
petroleum and coal, and he says the Lima oil
Will be used largely for this purpose Both
he and ex-Congressman Doxey, of Anderson.
think that some invention will be made for
the storage of this natural gas, and the idea
was put forth of the possibility of its being
transported out of the gas regions for fuel.
In this age of invention nothing is impossible.
and the other towns of the country may some
time be able to have this Indiana gas ON tan
as they have their Pennsylvania coal oil and
their Milwaukee beer today
***
This last idea may be a wild one, but a
grocer at Muncie gave me one which will
equal it. Said he in all earnestness, "This gas
Is going TO be great thing for market gar
deners. We had a man here from Oxford.
o., who is going to establish a garden in the
gas regions, and who claims he can raise veg
etables at least one month sooner by keeping
an artificial heat around his garden. He pro
poses to have gas pipes perforated with holes
through it, and to have jets Of burn
ing gas coming out of these day and night.
lie expects to be able to drive off the frosts.
and will use the gas both in his greenhouses
and in his folds"
close this letter with a reiteration of what
have already said as to the booms of this
gas territory, and l sum up its prospects as
follows: Both the Ohio and Indiana pas
owns will grow steadily while the gas lasts.
which according to general opinion will be
'or decade or so at the lowest estimate, ND
% forever at the highest. The towns in the
errltory have all enough gas to supply a
arge manufacturing plant with heat, and
mere VIII hardly be a phenomenal develop.
nent OF one place over the others while there
$ so much to pick from. The towns having
he best railroad facilities will be the best
POINTS for manufacturing, and those railroad
owns where gas can be piped at little ex
'ense will have almost as good chance rs
he towns in the region Real estate values |
some OF the towns, and notably Finday,
VIII nave TO fall, and the speculation which |
ook place there, in Muncie and in Kokomo |
VII hurt and is now hurting their citizens. |
lnolays Ideas OF growth are too exaggerated |
OF realization, and though it is growing
lster than any other gas town it will proba-
ly be many years before it can build up the
Dts which it has already laid ont. and the
uestlon of whether it is to be great CITY is
ecidedly one Of the far future. 1t has Ger
imly no more advantages than several of
1ese Indiana gas towns, and its railroad
ABILITIES are not equal to those of either
luncie, Anderson, Kokomo or Marion. all Of
hlch are good towns and all of which have
ood gas lands, though none. except perbans
nderson, has shown so great production of
rs per well. ~.
The cheapness of the fuel and the saving of
Dor In its use will induce some people to
lange their residences to these towns and
lie same are the reasons which will operate
to manufactures. Old companies with
rye plants will, however, not move, and the
which are now coming are small
fairs who are doing business on a close
argin and those which need help. The
gion will be built up at first by such fac
ileS and by institutions which have failed
havo been burned out otherwheres. These
the saving in the cost of fuel, may sell
cir goods at such rates as to force larger
to come, and in some cases, I
n told, the saving in fuel alone will make a
ry fair percentage on the cost of manu-
cture.
In the meantime the people of the towns of
gas regions have begun to appreciate
ese facts. Their balloon ideas Of iumpinp
addln like into great cities have passed {
'ay, and real estate, while still high, will :
soon held at figures not much above its {
tual value. FRANK G. CARPENTER.